Sound-conveying apparatus.



PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

. R. A. ANTHONY.

SOUND CONVEYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAILZ, 1905.

ALMA 38 g mum UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. v

RICHARD A. ANTHONY, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALBERT R. LEDOUX, OF CORNIVALL-ON-THE-HUDSON, NEIV YORK, AND ONE-HALF TO AMELIA V. V. ANTHONY, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

SOUND-CONVEYING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed March 2, 1905. Serial No. 248,046.

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD A. ANTHONY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have made certain new and useful Improvementsin Sound-Conveying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates an elevation of a socalled talking-machine of the cylinder type, embodying my invention, furnished with a reproducer. Fig. 2 illustrates a vertical sectional view of a reproducer combined with my improved horn. Fig. 3 illustrates a vertical sectional view of a recorder combined with my improved horn. Fig. 4 illustrates a detail showing a face view of the reproducer.

My present invention relates to improvements and additions to that for which I filed an application for Letters Patent of the United States on the 20th day of October, 190a, said application being known as Serial N 0. 229,218, to which I refer for a general description of the physical laws governing that and likewise this presentinvention. The apparatus now to be described is adapted to a much larger range of use, attendant with much more extended and important results, than were attainable under my former invention, for which application for patent was filed as aforesaid.

Referring now to the drawings, A represents the box or casing containing the motor mechanism, 860., for the instrument. Bis the usual belt or other power-transmitting mechanism. O O represent the transmission-gear for the movement of the horn and coaeting parts. D is the shaft for the cylinder bearing the record, as is well understood. These parts are or may be of any preferred construction, and, as is well known in this art, a disk may be substituted for the cylinder, if desired, appropriate changes being made in certain of the parts.

E is the main traveling frame, which supports the recorder or reproducer, as the case may be. It also carries the horn, which,how ever, if large, is sometimes additionally sup ported at or near its outer end.

F (see Fig. 2) is the non-oscillating part of the diaphragm-frame.

G is the pivoted oscillating portion of the regroducer, its axis being shown at H.

I is the pivoted point-carrier, which is fulcrumed at J to the oscillating part Gr and which is at its other extremity provided with the link or transmitting-rod K, which is connected centrally with the diaphragm L, whereby the impulses are transmitted to the diaphragm at or near its center.

M is my improved horn. It is preferably, although not necessarily, made of metal, such as aluminium, silver, tin, copper, or other suitable metal. It is unimportant, however, so far as this invention is concerned, of what material the horn may be made. That which is of consequence is its interior contour-that is to say, it must be of such shape as that when the invention is used for making records the sound waves or vibrations entering the large mouth of the horn shall impinge upon its side and be deflected therefrom to its focus at or near the smaller end of the horn, on or near the ordinates of which focus the horn is truncated or cut oil. This focal end of the horn is then placed as near the center of the diaphragm of the recorder as the oscillation or vibration of the diaphragm will permit, and the sound-waves will then be collected and concentrated upon the diaphragm, and likewise, per con/rm, when the invention is used for reproducing the sound-waves generated by the diaphragm will enter the horn at its truncated focal line and be projected forwardly and uniformly therefrom in the reverse direction from that in which the sound waves would be received in record-making in a horn of the same shape.

Upon referring now to the drawings, it will be found that the apparatus above described has been therein illustrated. Fig. 2 shows the apparatus provided with a reproducer and is therefore adapted for projection. The horn M is in the instance illustrated shown as of paraboloid form. It may be ellipsoid, semiellipsoid, or hyperboloid, depending upon the special circumstances of its use, as will be fully understood by those familiar with the laws governing the deflection of sound. It is rigidly connected to an annular part N, which fits over a like part O on the frame F of the reproducer. It may be permanently attached thereto by threads or otherwise, but preferably by slip-joint, as shown.

The focus of the horn is at P, and, as illustrated, it has been truncated on that line and the focus lies close to or on the diaphragm, a slight space, as shown, being provided to permit of vibration.

In Fig. 3 the record-making devices are illustrated in conjunction with my invention that is to say, Q represents the stationary part of the recorder, coinciding with the part F of the reproducer, as shown in Fig. 2. R is the oscillatory part of the recorder, pivoted at S, which in this case carries the dia phragm T and the cutting-point U, which is suitably supported and attached at approximately the center of the diaphragm, as shown. The horn M is in this case also of paraboloid form,'the same as shown in Fig. 2, and is attached to an annular cylindrical device V, which in all substantial respects is the same as the part N (shown in Fig. 1) and makes a slip-joint connection with the projecting cylindrical part of the non-oscillatory frame Q, of the recorder. In this case, however, the terminal portion'lV of the horn is severed from the main body thereof on approximately the line Y, and this little terminal part is connected to the oscillating diaphragm-frame E by. means of an underlying interlocking device, as follows: On the back of the frame is a two-angled annular structure (1/, and upon the sides of the cut-off terminal \V of the horn near its truncated end or parameter is an annular curved projecting rib 7), which interlocks with the two-angled annulus a in such manner that there is sufficient freedom of movement in the joint to permit the severed terminal IV to slide forwardly and rear- Wardly in substantially the axial line of the horn as the diaphragm-frame oscillates, and to aid in this operation the interior cylindrical surface 0 is made of very slightly greater diameter than the exterior diameter of the severed terminal \V at its larger end, (indicated by the line Y,) so that the lower arc of the severed terminal resting upon and guided by the said interior cylindrical surface will slide smoothly and evenly back and forth. In order that as little power as possible may be consumed in effecting this movement of the said terminal part, I. prefer to make it of thin metal, if metal be employed.

It will be observed that the severed terminal W of the horn is truncated at or near its focal plane, the same as in the other case, and that the focus is located as nearly as practicable upon the diaphragm of the recorder.

The operation of the apparatus from what has already been stated is obvious. \V hen the instrument is used for making the records, the sound-vibrations entering at the large open mouth of the horn impinge against its interior surface and are deflected therefrom to its focus, where they are collected and concentrated, and since, as stated, this focus is placed in close proximity to the center of the diaphragm the impulses thus concentrated go directly thereto, resulting in the production of a well-defined clear good record adapted to reproduce with fidelity and clearness the sound-waves, tones, accents, &c., of the original. So, also, when the invention is used for reproducing (whether from a record made by the employment of my invention or otherwise) the reprod uced sound or tone waves are thrown off from the diaphragm immediately at the focus of the horn and from the focus are projected against its interior walls and deflected therefrom outwardly from the mouth of the horn.

It will be obvious to those who are familiar with this art that modifications may be made in the detail of construction of the apparatus, whether the invention be employed for reproducing or record-making, without departing from the essentials of the invention. I therefore do not limit myself to such details. It will be obvious also that the essential element in the invention 6., the horn the interior surface whereof diverges in curved lines from its axis and which is truncated at or near its focal plane -is adapted to beneficial employment in sound-conveying apparatus or devices generally.

I claim 1. For the purpose stated a horn the interior surface whereof throughout its length diverges in curved lines from its axisand which is truncated at or near its focal plane and a diaphragm the center of which is substantially coincident in location with the focus of the horn.

2. In apparatus of the class stated a horn the interior surface whereof throughout its length diverges in curved lines from its axis and which is truncated at its focal plane, and a yieldiugly-supported diaphragm combined together so that the focus of the horn and the face of the diaphragm are substantially coincident in location.

3. In apparatus of the class stated a horn the interior surface whereof throughout its length diverges in curved lines from its axis and which is truncated at its focal plane, and an oscillating diaphragm, the part of the horn in which the focal plane is located being attached to and moving with the diaphragm.

4:. In apparatus of the class stated a horn the interior surface whereof throughout its length diverges in curved lines from its axis and which is truncated at. its focal plane and an oscillating diaphragm, the part of the horn in which the diaphragm is located being detached from the rest of the horn and. adjustably connected with the diaphragm, so as to automatically adjust itself relative to the axis of the horn and the center of the diaphragm I of the horn as the diaphragm oscillates. are substantially coincident in location.

5. In apparatus of the class stated a horn In testimony Whereoflhave signed my name the interior surface whereof throughout its to this specification in the presence of two sub- 5 length diverges in curved lines from its axis scribing Witnesses.

and Which is truncated at its focal plane and RLGHARD A. ANTHONY a diaphragm having materially greater diam- WVitnesses: eter than the truncated end of the horn, the F. M. DoUsBAoH,

two being combined together so that the focus LOUIS LAZAROWITZ. 

